Deadwood Social Club

Editor's Review

Head to Deadwood for one of the Black Hills' best restaurants.

We love the Black Hills, but generally it's not for the dining. Area cuisine leans heavily on the grilled and deep-fried. So we're always excited to find an excellent restaurant. We had low expectations for the Deadwood Social Club. It's located above the scraggly Saloon No. 10, and the name speaks of Midwest "supper clubs," which tend to specialize in bland steaks and iceberg lettuce salads. But the Social Club presents a creative menu of memorable dishes. The decor is classic old building: brick walls, wooden booths and tables, and a big bar with a huge wine display. The setting works equally well for couples nuzzling in the corner and tables of ice fishermen knocking down cold ones. Several dishes echo the Western theme, including appetizers of elk tenderloin on bruschetta -- exotic enough to spur conversation, but free of the gamey flavor elk often delivers. For an entree, we recommend the smoked Tuaca pheasant ($18.95), featuring smoked pheasant, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms in a slightly spicy cream sauce over fettuccini. The dish presents a complex series of flavors the likes of which we've rarely found in the Hills. Another favorite of regulars is the pork osso bucco ($19.95), an impressive-looking piece of braised pork set on wild rice.